The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) individual reports arrived at the district office yesterday.  These are the SBAC and CST assessments that students in grades 3-6 took in the spring of 2015.  They will be sent home directly from the district office as soon as they are able to be stuffed in envelopes with the corresponding address information.

As many of you know, I traverse this path of education from two standpoints; principal and parent.  The Benadom household will be receiving a parent report for our current 5th grader in the Los Gatos School District.  We will be using the guidance from this website to interpret this one data point that comes our way.  

Husband and wife are still in conversation in regards to whether or not we will share these results directly with Sammi.  

Here are some questions we’re working through:

• Does Samantha’s achievement impact our decision as to whether or not we share the results?  
• Would we share the data if she performed well and not share if she did not meet standards?
• What would be the value in sharing the data?
• Would sharing the data with her, regardless of her performance, provide her with some context as to how this singular measure defines her progress?
• How are we going to feel with whatever results come our way?  
• If she is meeting/exceeding standards what will that tell us?
• If she is not meeting standards, what will that tell us?
• What will be our next steps in either scenario?
• The state guidance emphasizes that this was the first year of these assessments and that this is one single measure of learning.  With that in mind, should we wait to share the data with her until next year’s results are in because then we will have two points to consider?
• What is our family value system around standardized testing data results?
• What are the best ways for us to address any concerns that might come forth from the results?
• If we ultimately decide to share these results with her, how do we do so in a way that demonstrates our emphasis on her growth as a whole human being?

When you receive your individual student reports, you will have some decisions to make that are right for your child and your family.  You may want to take next steps in terms of following up with the school to better understand why your child’s performance may not align to what you had expected.  I would like to offer some information that can be generalized for all Almond students.  

• We have a data management system that permits us the flexibility to look at the data in a number of ways to ask a variety of questions.  We have begun to do this.  This system also supports us in looking at the data by student.  
• We believe that if we offer an instructional program that meets the varying needs of each and every child that we will see a correlation in terms of a high percentage of students meeting and exceeding standards on this one measure.
• Our results in some grade levels and with some populations demonstrates we have important work to do.
• We will always examine this singular measure in context with other measures of student learning.
• We want 100% of students to meet/exceed standards.  While this may not be realistic, we will always work towards this ultimate goal, child by child, level by level.  If a child is not meeting standards, it will be our goal to support their academic program towards meeting standards.  If there are students who over time are consistently meeting standards, we will look to ways to support them in exceeding standards.
• Our LASD and Almond Learning Principle to personalize learning by using each student’s abilities and interests to maximize learning is the core essence of our prototype work.  We will not falter, nor veer from this mission.
• We have already examined how we can lessen any technical mishaps and proctoring challenges that may have been experienced in the 2014-15 school year.  We are looking at the supports we can offer students to ensure they are well equipped in demonstrating their knowledge via this digital testing measure.

In the event that this does suffice in answering questions you have, great.  In the event that it doesn’t, should you wish to speak with this year’s teacher, please understand that they will speak to the work we are doing as a school to personalize your child’s learning and our confidence that this work will translate into positive results via the SBAC and CST assessments of spring 2015.  I too am always available to hear your thoughts.  If I have responses, I will offer them.  If I don’t, I will certainly listen to your concerns and reflect on them as we continue our work as a district and school to meet the learning needs of ALL children.

Finally, in the parent report there will be text that reads accordingly, “These results are one measure of _____’s academic performance and provide limited information. Like any important measure of your child’s performance, they should be viewed with other available information—such as classroom tests, assignments, and grades—and they may be used to help guide a conversation with ______’s teacher about how to progress in ELA and mathematics.”  You are welcome to request a meeting at any time with your child’s teacher.  Should you wish to discuss these summative results, I recommend that you do so at the November parent conferences when we are able to speak to multiple data sources that include our own local benchmark measures (K-2 ELA: ESGI, 2-6 ELA & Math: iReady, and K-6 Literacy: Fountas & Pinnell) and formative assessments (classroom scores that include projects, tests, quizzes, etc…).